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[Campo Girl]

The bright green, oval leaves of basil, or sweet basil, have a warm, pungent and slightly spicy flavour. They lose much of their flavour when frozen and are best used fresh. Use them in tomato and garlic based dishes and sauces, and salads, omelettes and olive oil. Basil is an annual and produces its small white flowers in late summer.

Height spread: 45x15 cm (18x6 in)

Bush or Greek Basil: This compact plant has small pointed leaves, with a mild flavour and scent.

Lettuce Leaf Basil: The leaves are large and crinkled and have a particularly fine flavour.

Purple Basil: The dark purple leaves are ruffled and the plant bears pink-purple flowers (I had one of these in my terrace garden stunning!)

Cultivation: Grow in light, well-drained soil in full sun. Cut back before flowering to promote leaf growth.

Propogation: Sow seed indoors in early spring, or outside in late spring, once all danger of frost has passed and the soil is warm.

Pests and Diseases: Greenfly and whitefly may be a problem.

[Campo Girl]

Wooo hooo, I have managed to keep my basil alive for longer than 2 weeks, I water every morning before the sun gets to it and then every night and we are still fighting strong

I chopped the flowers off it this morning though which is a shame but if we are to eat it then no flowering required